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Evernorth Health Services Teams Up with Direct Relief to Deliver Critical Medications to Communities Impacted by Disasters

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Medical aid departs Direct Relief's warehouse bound for first responders and displaced residents after the deadly and destructive California wildfires in 2025. (Direct Relief)
By Staff

Evernorth, the health services division of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), has partnered with Direct Relief to donate more than 41,000 lifesaving prescription medications for rapid deployment during natural disasters and other emergencies. Through this collaboration, Evernorth’s Express Scripts Pharmacy has created a first‑of‑its‑kind donation pathway that enables humanitarian organizations to source prescription medications directly from pharmacies, helping bridge the gap between unused supply and unmet medical need in the United States.

“When disaster strikes, people may lose access to critical medications—either because they must evacuate quickly or because their homes and prescriptions are damaged or destroyed,” said Susan Peppers, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Practice at Evernorth’s pharmacies, which include Express Scripts Pharmacy. “As a care delivery leader serving millions of patients each year, we recognize the critical importance of timely access to medications. By working with Direct Relief to distribute medicines to people who need them, we’re helping close a crucial care gap for communities in crisis.”

The medications donated by Express Scripts Pharmacy are among those most frequently needed during emergencies and treat conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and organ transplant rejection. The prescription medications have long shelf lives, enabling Direct Relief to store frequently needed medications in advance to improve disaster preparedness.

As part of the collaboration, Evernorth worked with Direct Relief to ensure compliance with evolving Drug Supply Chain Security Act requirements for new, multistakeholder donation pathways. Designed for scale, the framework may be replicated across Evernorth’s pharmacies or adopted by other health services providers with eligible medications, opening new opportunities to maximize surplus supply and help communities in need.

“Through this collaboration, Evernorth not only strengthened Direct Relief’s supply of medications in emergencies – they also unlocked an entirely new avenue for sourcing high-quality prescription drugs for us and other humanitarian organizations,” said Tom Roane, Vice President of Corporate Engagement, Direct Relief. “The Evernorth team’s commitment to giving back and willingness to navigate new operational and regulatory processes alongside us empowers Direct Relief to serve more people, more quickly, when it matters most.”

Evernorth’s Express Scripts Pharmacy is one of the largest home delivery pharmacies in the United States and serves millions of patients each year.

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